The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-06-25
A MASONIC OFFENSE.

The Grand Master of the Masonic Order
of MISSOURI Declares That Saloon
Keepers Must Quit the Business or the
Order.
The following is portion of the
edict recently issued by Grand Master
George R. Hunt to the Worshipful
Master wardens and brethren of the
several Masonic lodges in Missouri:
''In 1882 the Grand lodge declared saloon
keeping to be unMasonie. in these words: Re
soIoed. That the business Of saloon-keeping is
hereby declared to be Masonic offence
1.-THE bylaw above quoted applies to the bust
ness of saloon-keeping as well as to drunken
ness, gambling etc. 1t must, therefore, be en-
forced against saloon-keeping Masons. Tho
lodges shall enforce the Masonic law against all
un- Masonic conduct, says the bylaw. Saloon
keeping is hereby declared to be Masonic
offence, says the Grand lodge. Therefore all
lodges shall and must enforce the law against
saloon-keeping members OF the order in Mis-
souri,. The Grand lodge has spoken There
must be no evading of the law because the
Grand lodge has said it shall be enforced.
Liquor-selling for drinking purposes is sternly
forbidden and can not be tolerated by the
lodges. To permit members OF our lodges to
continue business declared to be un-Masonic
is to allow an open defiance of the Grand lodge
tolerate, because they thereby encourage
wrong by eXempting such as thus violate and
defy the law. The saloon-keeping Mason would
thus be made privileged character, and al
lowed to do, with impunity, what the Grand
lodge has declared to be un-Masonic- They are
exempted from the penalty of law they are
violating every day, while drunkenness caused
by them, is pronounced gross, un-Masonlc con-
duct. We punish those guilty of 'habitual
drunkenness while we spare the saloon-keep-
ing Mason, whose business it is to make drunk
ards. 1t is not just to punish a fallen brother
and screen the one who caused his fall. The
Grand lodge has declared it to be a strange rule
that would punish the victim and not the vic
timiZer
1.-THE Grand lodge has put itself on record
against saloon-keeping or selling liquor for
drinking purposes, declaring the business to be
un-Masonic. 1t has affirmed the law to be good
and right in every case where lodges have ex-
PEELED or suspended the violators of the law.
1.-THE Grand lodge has suspended several par
ties, when the lodges failed to convict them,
when the evidence was plain aud strong. The
charters OF such lodges have been arrested.
The law has been in existence so long that none
may plead either ignorance or want of time to
change their business. Their continuance in
business declared to be un-Masonic is open de-
ttance to the law The Grand lodge has laid
down the rule that any member affected by our
law has the opportunity to quit the business or
quit Masonry
THE Grand lodge at its last session ordered
that the secretaries of lodges report to the
grand secretary, in the annual returns, the
names Of all Masons who may be violating the
law as Saloon-keepers. You are hereby directed
to see this order obeyed and the name of every
such person placed in your reports. Blank
spaces are provided for this purpose on the re-
turns.
| with the law and the purposes of the Grand
| lodge so fully known, it remains for the lodges
to say that the laws and edcts shall be enforced
| against n-Masonic conduct. If the lodges do
not enforce them, the Grand lodge will do it,
| The Grand lodge says it shall be DONE The
| lodges have no election. They are not judges
of the law. The Grand lodge made the law
The subordnates are not to judge the law, but
| are judges only of the points as charged against
the violators of the law. Remember that the
Grand lodge has waited long and patiently on
the violators of the law to change their bust
| ness. Failing to do so, the law shall be en-
| forced and they must quit the business or quit
| Masonry. Every member OF the order prom
| ised, when received, to abide by the law. A
| constant violation of the law is reputation
| of the obligation taken. Such must change
their course by giving up their business, or else
| quit Masonry
1.-THE masters of all lodges in this jurisdic-
| ton are hereby enjoined and directed to see
that this circular is read in the lodges, and
that the law of the Grand lodge is duly enforced
respecting the matters and things herein spe-
! Gifted.
1.-The deputy grand masters OF the several
| districts in this grand jurisdiction are hereby
charged with the special duty of seeing that the
| purposes of this circular are observed and car
ried into effect by the various lodges under
their official control. They will report any dis
regard Of these laws in their lodges concerning
un-Masonc conduct and furnish me all full
| particulars in each case"